Horse welfare is Job One for USEF

Holly Mitten of Chester rides Kate Ryan's Viking yesterday at the inaugural Gladstone Horse Show, the first hunter competition ever held at the historic U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters. See "On the Rail."Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger

A substance "that expedites the birthing process" being administered to show horses before they compete?

It sounds crazy, but as U.S. Equestrian Federation Drugs & Medications Program Director Steve Schumacher explained during the organization's Town Hall meeting last week, after the cramping triggered by oxytocin (it's used to increase contractions in a mare that is foaling), horses are "relaxed and exhausted."

Some unscrupulous trainers, administering the neurotransmitter to horses who aren't pregnant (like geldings), do it as a way to achieve a calm demeanor when their animals perform.

Drug testing has long been a part of the USEF's protocol, but there are those who always are working around that, trying to affect performance by using new and often bizarre substances for which tests are not available. Then there are excessive longeing, over-showing and a host of other practices involved in "competition culture" that should have no place in sport.

The USEF is determined to control them. The focus is on "Welfare of the Horse in the 21st Century: Meeting the Needs of the Performance Horse in Our Changing Environment,” which was the title of the Town Hall gathering in Lexington, Ky., live-streamed nationwide for more than three hours on the federation's network.

The organization has a lot of questions that need answering as it develops a way to ramp up its campaign against cheaters and insure equine safety.

"This is the beginning of the road," said USEF CEO John Long during the Town Hall, introducing discussion of two rules that could be acted on as soon as this month. One, as part of a "catastrophic incident protocol," requires notifying federation representatives when a horse collapses at a show for a reason that isn't obvious, such as tripping; the other prohibits injections less than 12 hours before a horse competes, with three health-related exceptions.

But there's still plenty of work to do and more rules of this type in the offing. USEF President Chrystine Tauber has asked all the breeds and disciplines to review and discuss their training and show preparation methods, then report back by Aug. 1.

As Long noted, "it is essential we all work together as a unified industry; we need to identify how big these welfare issues are." And, he stressed, the USEF must do it "before others do it for us." Racing and the Tennessee Walking Horses are examples of horse groups that have come under governmental scrutiny.

Former USEF president and current U.S. eventing coach David O'Connor cited a USEF initiative that took a hard look at his sport after two horses suffered fatal injuries in the 2008 the Rolex Kentucky 4-star.

Eventing changed for the better after that; the old "last man standing" dictum from the sport's military roots no longer applied. Now, retiring on course after a problem is much more prevalent that it used to be, and there is a greater use of devices that will drop part of a fence when a horse hits it, to prevent often deadly rotational falls.

O'Connor pointed out, it's important to consider the perspective of the public.
"As soon as you sell a ticket to someone, you are going to have their opinion," he commented.

"Every discipline and breed needs to know themselves in terms of what is inappropriate."
He added those involved with horse sports should ask if they could do what they're doing "in the middle of Central Park?"

And as revealed in this column last Sunday, that is particularly relevant, since a Central Park show jumping competition will be held for the first time in September.

Bill Moroney, president of the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association -- the largest USEF affiliate with 43,000 members -- noted the brisk pace of 21st Century life is responsible for a different way of doing things, which too often means shortcuts.

"In` the good old days,' we showed less and trained more at home," he said.

"The world has changed. Our training environment has molded itself to the fact that people have less available time to enjoy their extracurricular activities, so now you see a lot more training at horse shows. We really have to look at all of that and decide what's reasonable and what's the right thing for the horse," he continued.

Moroney, speaking several days after he was one of the Town Hall panelists, believes the pressure is more intense at the top of the game.

"The greater the accolade, the more temptation to cross the line," he pointed out. Think Lance Armstrong and A-Rod.

Discussing the USEF initative, he said, "What it needs to be in the end is not be crisis-driven. It needs to be culturally driven, that we continually analyze ourselves and make it a point that every few years, each breed and discipline has a summit and asks, `Are we in the right place? Are we still doing the right thing?'

"That is one of the most important things that has to be remembered; that once we think we've addressed this, we can't walk away and forget it."

ON THE RAIL -- The Gladstone Horse Show had a successful debut yesterday as the first hunter show held at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters.

Not many competitions are staged at the facility in Somerset County where U.S. teams trained for several generations. The Dressage Festival of Champions was held there for a few years, but is moving to Kentucky this fall as part of a rotation of the fixture's location.

The big arena behind the iconic stables is a special venue.

"I think the prestige of riding in this ring is amazing," said trainer Stephanie Desiderio of Chester, who brought students to the show and competed there herself.

"I told all my customers, who are 13-, 14-, 15-years old, they're lucky. I'm 50, and the first time I ever got to ride in this ring was this morning. I think all in all they should keep going with it."

It looks as if she will get her wish. Organizers J. Tucker Ericson, a horse show judge; his cousin, Michael Dowling, who teaches at Centenary College and Bethie Dayton, who runs Red Oak Farm in Stirling, are hoping to have a three-day show in 2014, depending on what dates are available from the foundation.

There was an old-fashioned feel to the show, which reached its limit of 120 horses almost immediately when entries opened. If the show expands, more people can participate.

Exhibitors and sponsors were made to feel welcome with a pizza party, complete with live music, and a wine-and-cheese tasting. The one-ring format had a more relaxed feeling than most shows, where multiple rings put pressure on riders, trainers and grooms.

Presented by Precise Buildings LLC, the show had many local sponsors including businesses such as Coach Stop Saddlery and Beval's, as well as a number of local individual supporters.

The show raised money for a new judges' stand at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in memory of Edd Lookingbill, who had been a well-known trainer...

A guided moonlight ride will held for riders of privately owned horses from 8-10 p.m. June 21 on the trails of Lord Stirling Stable in Basking Ridge. The fee is $15 for those who hold a trail card; $20 for those who don't have one. For information, call (908) 766-5955...

The N.J. Quarter Horse Association's Wounded Warriors' benefit ride, scheduled for yesterday at the West Milford Equestrian Center, was postponed until today because of the rain. For more information, go to www.njqha.com.